IPhone nano on the horizon?

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc. may be gearing up to introduce cheaper iPhone and MacBook models in 2009, possibly including a device dubbed the iPhone nano, according to an analyst who tracks the company.

Judging by checks with Apple suppliers, it appears the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer maker might be getting ready to introduce "a lower-cost version" of the popular iPhone, according to Craig Berger, an analyst with Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co.

"Some call this device the iPhone nano," Berger wrote in a research note. "Whatever one calls it, we believe this device is on its way."

Berger added he's also expecting "a new and smaller version of the iPod shuffle," possibly in the middle of the first quarter and a cheaper MacBook notebook.

Berger said he doesn't expect the products to be ready in time for a rollout at the Macworld expo this week.

Analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates said offering lower-cost products "would certainly help volume" in a time of weaker demand.

He also noted that, while it is hard to know if Berger is right about Apple's plans, the potential for information leaks at the technology giant has grown.

"Since the company began working with a wider range of suppliers, its information embargo is more difficult to keep," Kay said. "Doesn't mean this guy has the scoop, but the likelihood is greater."